Hofman777's Profile

I guess lets make it $120 before tax and tip. And it's two glasses total (not two each).

While I understand your point, when my girlfriend and I go out we almost always order the cheapest glasses of wine and never order the more expensive entrees or appetizers. We do not feel "constricted" when we do that but rather personally do not see it as worth it. At Nougatine we paid no attention to price and the bill was about $100 pre tax and tip. Babbo was around 110? Maybe a little lower or higher (we went about 4-6 months ago). In terms of "entree price" somewhere around 30-35 is probably about right (this would be for an average entree not most expensive).

I will look at some of those restaurants but would like a place of similar esteem/quality as Babbo or Nougatine. Do any of the places fit that or do people have any suggestions?

I don't have a problem doing a discount site but we would go out on a Friday so sites like Savored are minimally helpful since the reservations at prime time on a Friday are few if existent at all.

Hey all, I want to find a really amazing restaurant for my girlfriend's birthday. For mine we did Nougatine at Jean-Georges (we've also been to Babbo). I'd love to find something like that where you get the "top restaurant" feel without breaking the bank. We are also not into tasting menus and generally don't both get 3 courses so a prix-fixe situation probably isn't ideal. Do any other restaurants have a Nougatine-like set-up or does anyone have any other recommendations? I read online that Daniel has a lounge menu but I can't seem to find it online... I'd like to keep it to about $150 for two of us (probably 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, a dessert, and 2 glasses of wine or maybe a cheap bottle). Her birthday isn't for over a month and can have a credit card concierge help getting a reservation so difficulty of getting the reservation isn't a factor.

Hi all! I love to cook but have noticed that I've fallen into a bit of a cooking rut and am a little bit fed up with my current cookbooks. I am a really good cook/chef so difficulty level isn't an issue. What cookbooks do you recommend or think is really great?

Hey all, I'm looking for a restaurant idea for anniversary/valentine's day. Would like to keep it to about $100 (little more is probably fine) with tax/tip for 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine (or a bottle), and maybe an appetizer to share. Was thinking maybe the tavern room at Gramercy Tavern. She doesn't eat fish and I don't eat meat. Doesn't matter what area of the city.

I think Spanish food might be a no-go. All three of those have menus that are almost-entirely meat based which will be difficult (especially for a small plates restaurant like Casa Mono). Mexican food is likely fine but spanish food may be too difficult.

I don't know if there are any places that would work but we tend to like Mediterranean and "American" food.

Raymi may be too exotic for my girlfriend and Yerba I don't think will work. Perilla doesn't seem bad but the menu looks "run of the mill" in that most of the dishes aren't something that I feel like I couldn't find elsewhere.

Public would work but I actually cannot eat there (I can't eat some of the stuff in the seafood dishes).

Super-loud is a problem in that I want to be able to talk while we're at dinner and not struggle to have a conversation.

Some music and what-not isn't a bad thing (we really liked Stanton Social and Beauty and Essex although B&E was a little on the loud side)

I don't think that option will work. In terms of the vegetarian options and such, I am the one who eats fish but not meat so I care more about there being good meat options for her than fish for me. I can find something anywhere but want to make sure it's a great dinner for her so maybe don't worry about the need for seafood/vegetarian options at all.

We like Greek food but really like everything. An "entree" restaurant and a "small plates restaurant" are both fine by us.

If this helps other restaurants we've gone to and liked/disliked are:

Liked: Dos Caminos (it was okay)OttoCo.UvaBeauty and EssexStanton SocialKefiBalaboostaZengoWater Club

Disliked:Recipe (in UWS)

There are probably others but the above comes to mind.

I want the dinner to be fun or special or both. Something trendy like B&E or Stanton Social would be good, as would something a little nicer.

Hey all, My girlfriend is turning 25 at the end of October and I want to take her out to a nice dinner on a Friday night (I'm coming up on a one month mark so most restaurants are in play). I want a restaurant that's going to be good but also fun and "different" (there are many restaurants who have menus that are not special in anyway but rather contain dishes that you could find anywhere). We both loved Beauty & Essex and the Stanton Social as well as Balaboosta, Kefi, and other restaurants. One of us doesn't eat meat and the other doesn't eat fish so some of both types or vegetarian stuff is necessary (as long as there is a vegetarian option or a fish option, it's fine). We normally order 2 entrees and maybe an appetizer between the two of us. I'd also want 2 glasses or a bottle of wine depending on price. I would like to keep it under 120 with tax and tip but would go over if it's worth it. Any ideas would be great!!

On a Saturday Night in a few weeks I have a Black Tie Optional Event at Pier Sixty that starts at 10pm. I'm taking a girl as my date and I thought it would make sense to go to dinner right beforehand at around 8 or 8:30 but cannot think of where to go. I am kosher but will eat certain types of fish (salmon, tuna, halibut, tilapia) and non-meat dishes out and she doesn't like seafood (a bit of an odd combination I know).

I want a restaurant a little on the nicer side because we will be all dressed up. Normally when we go out we get two main courses, a bottle of wine, and split a dessert and potentially split an appetizer. In the past I've attempted to keep the total bill (including tax and tip) to around $100 ($110 is fine). I don't have an objection to using a website like Savored.

Location in the city isn't particularly important (we'll be coming from the UWS so maybe something somewhere on the west side of the city is better but we will take a cab to whatever restaurant and then to Pier Sixty anyway).

Hello! I need a restaurant to take a date this Saturday night. When we've gone out before we normally skip appetizers and just do entrees, a bottle of wine and maybe a dessert. I'd be willing to spend about $100 with tip (little more is fine but not much). One of us doesn't eat fish and the other doesn't eat meat but will eat fish (somewhat of an odd pair!).

For location it can be anywhere on the UWS or UES (although UWS is preferable).

I found Kefi online but I saw reviews both on this site and others where people said it's not romantic because the lights and such are so bright and the tables are cramped. Has anyone gone to Kefi and can give me their view on this?

Does anyone have any other starch ideas? I want to impress the person and something that'll look nice and I can plate. I decided to do Green Beans Almondine and I'm going to do a pan-roasted boneless chicken breast with pesto but I am undecided as to the starch.

Does anyone have any ideas?

I originally wanted to do risotto but I don't want to have to be standing in the kitchen stirring for 20-30 minutes. What can I make that would place nicely and taste good with green beans and pesto chicken.

I forgot to mention that the person is lactose intolerant so I want to avoid cheese. I have made risotto without cheese before so that would still be okay but the polenta probably would not work for that reason.

In lieu of an appetizer I was thinking of putting out the type of nuts and such that she really likes and then just doing a main course and dessert since normally when we go out neither of us orders an appetizer anyway.

Hello all, I'm making dinner for myself and a friend and I'm having trouble coming up with what to make. The person really likes pesto and chicken so I'm going to make homemade pesto and put it on some chicken but I cannot come up with side dishes to make with it. I'd like to make a vegetable side and a starch side.

I was thinking of some kind of a risotto or something but I don't know what type of risotto to make. Or a specific idea then for a vegetable. Does anyone have any ideas? I want to avoid broccoli and cauliflower.

I am a pretty experienced cook (used to work in a restaurant) so level of difficulty isn't an issue.

Okay. As a reference, at Le Bateau Ivre I spent a little less than $100 before tip for 2 entrees and a pretty nice bottle of wine. The ambiance there is nice, we also got a corner table so it was pretty quiet.

I went out on my date last night. We wound up going to Le Bateau Ivre. The food was pretty good (I had the arctic char) and they had a really big wine selection which was a plus. I would definitely go back. The only negative was that it was a little loud at times. Thanks for your suggestions everyone!

I also posted this in the Manhattan forum but I think it applies here too. Does anyone know of a wine store in manhattan where they sell it? I would prefer midtown, gramercy, chelsea or the UWS but anywhere is fine.